Diamond Price Negotiation
Diamond Price Negotiation Caderousse claims they had agreed on his asking price, but the jeweller reveals he offered 40,000 francs. La Carconte indignantly protests, insisting the abbé said the stone was worth 50,000 francs without its setting. When the jeweller requests the abbé’s name and learns he is the Abbé Busoni, an Italian from near Mantua, he asks to inspect the diamond again, suspecting a first viewing may have led to an error in valuation. Caderousse produces a small black shagreen case, and at the sight of the hazel-nut-sized stone, La Carconte’s eyes glitter with cupidity.
Jeweller Appraises the Diamond
Jeweller Appraises the Diamond After Monte Cristo asks Bertuccio whether he believed Caderousse’s story, the steward continues his account. The jeweller Joannes removes the diamond from its setting using steel pliers and weighs it on small copper scales. He offers 45,000 francs but no more, noting he brought exactly that sum. When Caderousse insists on the full 50,000, Joannes reconsiders and points out a flaw in the stone, then resets it in the ring.
Diamond Sale Finalized
Diamond Sale Finalized Caderousse threatens to find another buyer, but the jeweller warns him that no one else will accept their unlikely story, and the law might seize the diamond. Caderousse and his wife exchange eager glances and ultimately accept 45,000 francs. La Carconte demands a gold chain and Caderousse a pair of silver buckles, and Joannes obliges from samples he carries, though the trinkets are worth only about five louis and fifteen francs respectively. Joannes counts out 15,000 francs in gold and 30,000 in banknotes, remarking that 45,000 francs equals 2,500 livres of annual income.
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